


the fine art of lovestruck gazing

by thewalrus_said



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 03:08:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15899676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewalrus_said/pseuds/thewalrus_said
Summary: It was Jack’s turn to talk, according to the rules of conversation, but it was suddenly very important that he take in every detail of Bitty’s face. Yesterday he’d have said he knew Bitty’s face perfectly well, but now he’drealized, and he had to look at every square inch of Bitty’s face, from every possible angle, in light of his new understanding. Luckily, from the way Bitty’s eyes kept flicking back and forth, he was doing the same thing.





	the fine art of lovestruck gazing

**Author's Note:**

> Big Bang fic? I don't know her.
> 
> Did the world need another fic about the post-kiss text/conversation? Probably not. Did I need to write one? Yeah. So here we are. Hope you enjoy!

_Hey._

_I hope that was okay. It seemed like it was but I know I shouldn’t assume._

_I have meetings for the rest of the day, but can we call when you get home?_

_hey! of course it was okay <3 and i’d love to! _

_but i probably won’t get a moment alone until pretty late, i wouldn’t want to keep you up_

_I’ll be up. Talk to you soon._

_ <3 to you too. _

_:D_

\-----

“Hey.”

Jack knew he was grinning, could feel the muscles in his cheeks straining, but Bitty was beaming back at him and he couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed. “Hey yourself,” Bitty replied, tugging a strap of the Samwell tank top he wore up his shoulder.

It was Jack’s turn to talk, according to the rules of conversation, but it was suddenly very important that he take in every detail of Bitty’s face. Yesterday he’d have said he knew Bitty’s face perfectly well, but now he’d _realized,_ and he had to look at every square inch of Bitty’s face, from every possible angle, in light of his new understanding. Luckily, from the way Bitty’s eyes kept flicking back and forth, he was doing the same thing.

The realization made Jack laugh, and Bitty outright _giggled._ Jack’s fingers reached up to touch the screen without any conscious input from his brain, and he only just snatched them back before Bitty’s eyes opened again. “So,” Bitty said, attempting to be serious despite the grin tugging at his mouth that was making Jack’s stomach churn. “Kissing.”

Kissing. He’d kissed Bitty, not ten hours ago. God knew when he’d get to kiss him again. “Yes.” He shifted, tugging his laptop further up his chest, as though it would bring Bitty closer to him. _Stupid._ “I, uh. Know we’re in different states and all, but I’d like to date you. If you’re...up for it...” he trailed off. He’d practiced in the bathroom after his parents left for their hotel, but it hadn’t prepared him for Bitty’s wide eyes blinking at him.

“You want to date me?” Bitty asked. He didn’t _sound_ offended, and he didn’t _look_ offended, so Jack was already doing better than his worst-case scenarios. “Don’t get me wrong, Jack, I’m definitely up for it, long-distance or no, but I’m just a little, well. Surprised, I guess?”

“Yeah, me too,” Jack said in a relieved exhale. Then he heard himself. “Not that you’re not dateable, or that someone wanting to date you is surprising, that’s not what I meant -”

“Sweetheart. Breathe.” Bitty flushed a little at the escaped endearment, but Jack was already calmer. It hadn’t occurred to him there might be pet names if they dated. It was probably the best news of the day. After Bitty saying he was up for dating at all, that was.

“Right.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Surprises aside, I’d like to give things a try, if you do.”

“I definitely do.” Bitty bit his lip; Jack cataloged it, filing it under _New favorite expressions Bitty makes._ “Can I ask, though - if it took you by surprise, can I ask what changed?”

Jack shrugged. He’d been asking himself the same question since Bitty got on the airport shuttle. “Nothing changed, really, I just sort of realized what...wasn’t changing? Everyone else went from _teammate_ to _friend_ after the season ended, over time, and I realized that I still thought of you as a teammate? But not a hockey teammate, I guess, more of a...life...teammate...” Bitty was grinning again. Jack cut himself off with a groan. “Ugh, sorry, that’s so stupid and not romantic at all -”

“No, no, I get what you mean,” Bitty interrupted. “It’s very you.”

_And see, this is_ why _, because you_ get _me,_ Jack wanted to shout. But that was probably too much too soon. Jack contented himself with grinning like a dope. “What about you?”

“ _Moi?_ ” Bitty’s accent was atrocious. Jack grinned wider. “Oh, I caught feelings sometime during Atley’s class. Not sure exactly when.”

Jack hadn’t kept him waiting too long, then. “Good.”

“Good?”

“Yeah.” More staring. Jack had never looked at one face this hard in his life, and he was starting to think he’d never get tired of doing it. Not if Bitty’s face kept being so interesting, and so beautiful. Why had he never realized how beautiful Bitty was? He’d known Bitty was cute, sure, but like this, in the dim light of his bedside lamp, blushing and fidgeting and staring back, he was stunning. How had Jack missed it all this time?

Bitty broke the staring contest this time. “It must be well past midnight in Providence, I shouldn’t keep you up. And besides,” he added, eyes sparkling, “if I want to stop blushing by breakfast I should start now.”

_No._ “Alright,” Jack said. “Can we talk again soon?”

“Oh, honey, you’re gonna get sick of talkin’ to me by the end of the month, as much as I want to talk to you.”

“Not possible.”

Bitty shook his head, putting his hands to his cheeks. “See? Blushing. You’ll be the death of me, Mr. Zimmermann. I’ll try and get to bed a little earlier tomorrow so you don’t have to stay up so late.” He blinked. “If you want to talk tomorrow, that is, I know it’s soon -”

“Bittle.” Jack may have deployed his Captain Voice, just a little. “I want to talk to you tomorrow. I don’t care how late I have to stay up, if it means I get to see you.”

Bitty gave a groan of mock frustration. Jack filed it away. “Alright then. Good night, Jack.”

“Night, Bits.”

Bitty bit his lip, waved at the camera, and then he was gone. Jack’s phone buzzed a moment later; another heart appearing on the screen. Jack left his phone unlocked on the pillow next to him and fell asleep smiling.


End file.
